West Manatee’s new residential development draws heavy inspiration from at least two different residential developments of the Orlando real estate community – the Avalon Park and the Baldwin Park residential communities. The Crossroads development has been projected to stretch over 1,322 acres in its first phase of development, on the property of Manatee Fruit Farm in West Manatee.
Developer Whiting Preston Leaves No Stone Unturned
The development of the Crossroads residential community is being undertaken by Whiting Preston. To ensure that the West Bradenton community gets enough press even before residential leasing begins it is being pitched as a “hybrid” of Baldwin Park and Avalon Park.
Further, Whiting Preston is known to have hired the designers of Avalon Park for the first phase of development. The Crossroads development will thus sport a design code drafted by Cannin Associates, the urban planning consultants responsible for Avalon Park.
Manatee’s Crossroads development vs Orlando’s Baldwin Park and Avalon Park
Now, a “hybrid” community essentially means one that incorporates the best features of both Baldwin and Avalon, and Whiting Preston is leaving no stone unturned to achieve the same. At the outset, the three communities share a few similarities. They stretch over 1,000 acres and contain between 3,600 and 6,500 residential units.
The hybridization however begins on the streets. The streets of Crossroads will sport the hub-and-spoke distribution paradigm that Avalon Park is celebrated for with the traditional grid distribution that is characteristic of Baldwin Park.
Traffic has been a big problem for the residents of Avalon Park. Primarily because the six villages comprising the community are joined using a network of arterial roads in the hub-and-spoke model that has proven to be less than ideal during the rush hours. Whiting Preston may have to modify the hub-and-spoke model if it wants to prevent traffic problems at Crossroads.
Pricing at Avalon and Baldwin
According to the top Orlando realtors who have dealt with Baldwin Park, the community sells its cheapest condos for around $250,000. The traditional nuclear-family homes easily fetch over $1 million and leased-out apartments, though prevalent, start only in the higher-end range of $1,300.
In Orlando, Avalon Park typically turns out to be more affordable, when compared to Baldwin Park. Orlando real estate agents reveal that condos at Avalon Park sell for well under $200,000. Further, rental apartments are cheaper and attract many students from the neighboring colleges.
Orlando Realty Consultants, Inc., a leader in Central Florida real estate, has added short sale superstar John Conde to it’s team of real estate professionals. He is an enthusiastic go-getter with a genuine desire to help clients find the perfect place to call home and we are thrilled to have him on board. He’s also an amazing marketer using his Youtube channel TOP ORLANDO REALTORS to post fun and entertaining videos to deliver extremely valuable content about Orlando real estate to viewers.
From investor to Orlando realtor, John Conde REALTOR is no stranger to buying and selling residential real estate in Central Florida. He has been doing it successfully since 2004. He is now working as an Orlando real estate agent devoted to helping people that are facing foreclosure and financial hardship to find solutions to there real estate needs.
His vast experience as a real estate investor has enabled him to be familiar with of every aspect of the Florida real estate business and we feel very fortunate to have him join our elite team of real estate professionals. His specialties include: Orlando Short Sales, Luxury Homes, International Real Estate and Investment Properties with a tremendous amount of expertise in Social Media Marketing, International Bridging, Market Analysis, Sales, Negotiating and Consulting experience.
In order to navigate the complex decisions involved in Orlando’s real estate market today requires the guidance of a true professional, especially when your talking about short sales. He is committed to quality service with an emphasis on accountability, reliability, timeliness and enthusiasm. John’s goal is to take Orlando Realty Consultantsto the next level through powerful online marketing strategies as well as traditional marketing exposure. He is as devoted to his work as he is to his family.
He is fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish with a deep knowledge of many cultures around the world making him one of our preferred agents for international clients. A successful real estate transaction is built upon the strength of relationships and the experience of how to get things done. John is extremely well respected by his peers in the industry and has created invaluable relationships along the way with other professionals in the industry such as title companies, attorney’s, lenders, appraisers, builders, institutional investors and realtors.
About Orlando Realty Consultants
Orlando realty Consultants, Inc has been at the forefront of Orlando real estate for 8 years. With a team of top notch Orlando realtors in our stable, we are equipped to handle any type of real estate transaction.
For more information about Orlando Realty Consultants, call or visit www.orlandorealtyconsultants.com
When it comes to Selling Orlando Real Estate, there’s only one chance to Sweep potential buyers Off their Feet.
Top Orlando realtors know the importance of staging a house to get it sold. The truth is, with the exception of owner occupied homes that are furnished because the homeowners still live their, hardly any one wants to spend the money to have their house staged for showings. Even the houses that are owner occupied and fully furnished can work against you. Let’s face it, not everyone has the best taste to pick out furniture or decorating a home to look it’s very best.
I’ve entered many owner occupied Orlando homes and have been forced to have that ever so awkward conversation with the seller about removing some of their personal belongings, de-clutter and sometimes about just basic cleaning.
Have you ever had to tell a cat lover that they need to get the cat smell out of their house, or even better, relocate the cat so we can get the property sold? Not funnest part of my job!
As an Orlando Listing Agent it’s my job to do my very best at getting my clients Orlando Property sold, and sometimes sellers will get their feelings hurt. Usually, once I explain to the seller why we need to do certain things to their home sold for the highest price possible, they understand that ultimately it’s for their own good.
I also make them understand that as a Top Orlando Broker, people seek me out for quality Orlando properties and it’s my responsibility to show everyone of my listings in the best light possible.
Top Tips on making your Orlando Property look it’s best with little or no money
1-Cleaning and De-Cluttering– If you could only do one single thing to a house to make it look better, it would be to clean it and get rid of the clutter. Most potential buyers don’t have the imagination to see anything except what you are showing them. So in other words the perception is the reality. Start by removing everything that you possibly can into the garage or out front. If possible, remove any large pieces of furniture that can make a room feel small and uncomfortable. Also, you should remove as many personal items as possible and put them in storage. Next,… clean, clean and clean more. Make every surface of your house as clean as possible, I prefer the term “sparkle”.
Warning: Once you clean and De-Clutter your home like never before, you run the risk of falling in love with it all over again and not wanting to move anymore.
2-Lighting– To show a house in it’s best light possible, you start with light and lots of it. There’s nothing worse than showing a house that looks dim and dark when you first walk in [that’s what they’ll remember]. Ample illumination can make a home feel warm, inviting and even larger and open. Lightening and brightening a home can offer one of the biggest returns to sellers at resale next to Cleaning, De-cluttering and paint. To make sure you get maximum benefit from your lighting efforts here are a few suggestions
a. Use clear light bulbs instead of opaque for a cleaner look- Get rid of any mismatched bulbs, they are an eye sore and can make a room feel chaotic. Also, avoid using those energy efficient bulbs that emit a harsh glare, instead use standard incandescent bulbs for a warm soft white light that. b. Clean or Update old lighting fixtures- If it’s not in your budget to update old light fixtures, then clean them. It’s a huge turn off to a potential buyer to look up at light fixture and see dust, spider webs and dead insects. I know it’s a pain to get the ladder out if the garage and clean fixtures that haven’t been cleaned in quite a while, but well worth your time and effort. c. Take advantage of window lighting- Start from the outside in, clean the glass and the screens. If the screens look really bad, get rid of them. Old screens can make a window look awful and I’ve never seen a deal fall through because of a house not having screens on the windows. On the inside get rid of any curtains or other window dressings that can be keeping the light from getting into the house.
3-Fresh Paint- If you were able to complete my first 2 suggestions, then you are off to a great start and many times you don’t need this final step. However, if you have chipped, scratched and missing paint on some of your walls, or if the colors you have on your walls now are very personal to you then you should definitely consider painting. Some people will see a color on the walls that they don’t care for and for that reason alone not like the house and not make an offer. If your house is extremely colorful to the point where it might turn some potential buyers off my suggestion is to paint all the interior walls off white. You can’t go wrong with off white; it’s bright, soft and elegant all rolled in to one. My husband is an experienced Orlando Real Estate Investor/Re-habber and he paints everyone of his Orlando properties “off white” with the trim “bright white”. You really can’t go wrong with this combination. It makes the house look clean, spacious and elegant. Also, these colors are very easy to paint over for new homeowners wanting a more dramatic look.
I hope this information was helpful to anyone looking to sell their Orlando property. If you would like to see how much your house would sell for in today’s market, even if you have no intention of selling. Feel free to come see us for a Free Consultation or call 407-902-7750
Orlando Real Estate Sales are being affected by appraisers who fail to recognize appreciation
With the current Orlando Real Estate market on the rise, appreciation has become an actual factor again. It’s very common these days for an Orlando property to receive multiple offers on it thousands of dollars above the asking price, especially in the more desirable Orlando neighborhoods. One of the problems we are seeing here is that appraisers rather than taking into consideration the recent appreciation of a property, are just looking at the original listing price and are trying to get as close as they can to it.
The big problem with that is, if the house doesn’t appraise for the contract price, then the bank won’t finance the deal. At this point, there are three things that can happen.
1- The buyer can make up the difference by bringing cash to the transaction [This hardly ever happens]
2- The buyer will want to change his or her offer to the “appraisal value”, however the seller now believes their property is worth more than the original listing price and will refuse to go down on the price.
3-The deal falls apart and the process starts all over again unless the buyer can get a different lender or appraiser or both to try and make the deal go through.
Any way you choose to look at it, bad appraisals are affecting Orlando Realty sales.
Are Orlando Appraisers afraid of history repeating itself?
Back in 2004 through 2006, many appraisers ended up in deep trouble because of overinflated appraisal values. Things were soo crazy back then that it was common for Orlando Real Estate Investors to tell their appraisers what value they wanted the property to come in at and that’s what it would come in at. Everyone was making soo much money that nothing else seemed to matter. Fast forward to 2007- The doo doo hits the fan. Appraisers among other people in the industry such as mortgage brokers, etc. ended up in serious legal trouble for fraud. Inflated appraisal values, bad loans, illegal kickbacks, you name it, and any real estate professional with a license was getting in trouble for it.
I don’t blame appraisers for being extra cautious about not turning in inflated appraisals. That being said, I think that some appraisers are going to the opposite extreme now and are under appraising properties which are having a negative effect on Orlando Home sales.
Here’s a tip on dealing with the appraiser
Make sure the agents on both sides of your transaction have created a CMA [Current Market Analysis] that demonstrates how the market has changed in the past six months or less. Then make sure the appraiser gets a copy.
Your sale or purchase doesn’t have to be jeopardized simply because the appraiser doesn’t have — or chooses not to collect — all the relevant recent facts.
Listing your home with the wrong agent could cost you Big Bucks
Most people will only sell a home a handful of times throughout their whole life. With limited or no experience in Orlando real estate it’s hard for someone to know how to maximize their profits from the sale of their home. Unfortunately, many homeowners make the mistake of thinking that all realtors are the same. They list with the first realtor that comes along without doing any research on that person and it ultimately ends up costing the seller thousands of dollars. The following information will help you to decide which Orlando realtor you should choose to sell your home for maximum profit.
Always Start with Google
Like pretty much anything you do these days, you start by typing your search term into Google and see what comes up. Most of the time you can find out anything you need to find out just by doing this. Once the list of Orlando realtors comes up, pick the top ten search engine results and write down their information. From these top ten agents, you should use the following questions to decide which is the right agent for you.
1. Could You send me some information about yourself? By asking this question you can learn a lot about this realtor. Ask them to see some of their marketing materials such as; postcards, ads, internet ads, etc. Also, pay attention to how long the agent takes to get back at you. If it takes a Orlando realtor 24 hrs or more to get back to you after you’ve left them a message then you can expect them to take at least that long to follow up with a potential buyer for your house.
2. How many Orlando properties have you listed and sold in the last six months? You want an Orlando agent that has experience in selling homes in the area where your home is located. By knowing the number of houses they’ve listed and the number of houses that they’ve sold within the same time period, you can get a good idea of what kind of results to expect.
3. What is the average length of time that it takes you to sell home? See what they tell you, then verify it. An Expert in Orlando real estate will know exactly at what price to list your home at to sell quickly for the highest price that the market will allow. The agent that you choose should have a good record of selling homes, not just listing them.
4. How long have you been in business? Going by how long an agent has had their license is not a good way to find out how good of a home seller they are. There are many “part time” agents that have been licensed for ten years or more, but I will choose a “rookie” top producing agent any day over a realtor that has to do something other than selling Orlando real estate to make a living.
5. Do you have any employees or an assistant? Top Producing Orlando Agents will almost always have at least an assistant. A lot of things involved with selling real estate are tedious and very time consuming, especially when you’re negotiating a short sale. A realtor with an assistant is typically a sign of a successful realtor.
6. What listing price would you recommend? And how did you come up with that number? Pricing a house right from the beginning is absolutely critical. The price should be realistic and a Keep in mind the selling price should attract prospective buyers to your home, get you top dollar in the current market and reflect the condition of your home. Be realistic and avoid ‘yes agents’, who will say ‘yes’ to any request or price while your home languishes on the market. Lowball agents will try to talk you into an artificial price simply to sell as fast as possible.
7. What does your listing agreement entail? , when does it expire and what fees will I have to pay if you are successful in selling my house? – Have your agent go over every detail in the listing agreement with you until you understand it completely. Make sure the beginning and ending dates are on the agreement; a good standard for length is three months. Know exactly what fees you will be paying and remember that less is not always better. If the agent stands to make very little commission you can bet it will be reflected in the amount of time and effort that is spent marketing your home. If the agent reduces their commission to get the listing it may mean they intend to spend very little money promoting the property. The normal commission is between 5 and 7 percent.
8. How do you market your Orlando properties? How much is your Orlando realtor going to spend on advertising this property? What are the different methods or strategies do they use for marketing their properties? Do they have a strong internet presence? Beware of agents that will do nothing more than list your property on the MLS…and that’s it. Agents who are aggressive and innovative with their marketing will always outperform agents who only rely on methods of the past.
9. Can I see some testimonials from your past clients? Any top producing Realtor should have at least a dozen testimonials from past clients and should be happy to show them to you. If the agent can’t produce any, then you should end the interview right there and continue searching for the right agent.
I hope these questions will help you to find the right realtor for you. As always ask me anything, I’m here to help.
